Mysterious Awakening

“Done!” announced Miles, wrapping up his work efficiently.

He’d systematically called each number from his contact list, not missing a single one. Now, there was nothing left to do but wait.

The curse he’d spread wouldn’t take effect immediately, and based on the unpredictability of the Knocking Ghost, the schedule would be packed for the next while.

“Everything’s wrapped up on my end. What about you?” Miles asked, dialing Ethan’s number as he simultaneously tidied up the computer files and made records of the calls.

“I’ve completed all necessary contact. We’re ready to head to the club and finalize the deal. Where are you? Do you need a lift?” Ethan’s response was prompt.

“No need, I have my own wheels. Just text me the address.”

“Okay.”

The moment he received the address, Miles hit the road. His destination was nestled in the city’s outskirts. It was a bit off the beaten path, but that made sense. A potentially dangerous meeting place like this wasn’t suitable for busy downtown locales.

En route, Miles called Rain, the operator at Ghost Tamer HQ of Asia’s Interpol branch.

“Any updates on the ghost tamer club in Dachang City?” he asked.

Rain seemed taken aback by Miles’s question. “A civilian club? That’s outside our purview, I’m afraid. I don’t have any information.”

“Alright, thanks anyway,” Miles responded, ready to end the call.

“Wait, don’t hang up. I do have some news for you. The situation with Right in Dachang City has been resolved. A new ghost tamer will be assigned to cover Right’s duties soon. It might be helpful for you to make contact. He may have the answers you need,” Rain suggested.

“A new ghost tamer?” Interest sparked in Miles’s voice. “If I get a chance, I’ll reach out.”

“Great, I’ll send you the details,” Rain confirmed.

“Okay, thanks. Goodbye.”

After about a ten-minute drive, Miles pulled up at a suburban manor. This was the spot.

“Miles, over here.” Ethan flagged him down from the roadside.

“So, this is the club? Looks rather high-end,” Miles remarked, looking around.

“It’s backed by a local big shot,” Ethan replied. “If you join the club and get lucky, you might attract the tycoon’s financial support. I scored a ten-million sponsorship when I first joined.”

“That sounds suspiciously like some kind of dodgy deal,” Miles retorted.

“It’s not as sinister as you imagine,” Ethan explained. “These local moguls have more wealth than they know how to handle. Most days, they just fritter away their money and flaunt their prosperity. Given the rise of supernatural events, their riches are naturally spent on ensuring their safety. By accepting their funds, you could say we’re providing a service to them. Or to put it bluntly, we’re their personal bodyguards should things go awry.”

“Let’s head to the club.”

The manor was an architectural masterpiece with a garden, a fountain, a lush lawn, and several ancient-styled buildings. The design clearly reflected refined aesthetics.

“Welcome.” As they neared an imposing lobby, two receptionists wearing broad smiles greeted them.

Miles gave the pair a fleeting glance. It wasn’t their lithe figures that caught his attention, but something unsettling about them. Their smiles, as professional as they were, seemed too stiff, almost reminiscent of lifeless dolls.

“No, not lifeless.”

Miles could detect their breathing, their vital energies, but they emitted a chilly, uncanny aura.

Something was amiss.

“Our contact is already here, waiting for us on the fifth floor,” Ethan updated him.

“Any potential dangers?” inquired Miles.

Ethan chuckled, “Dangers? In the club? It’s a safe space to conduct our business.”

“Even so, caution won’t hurt. It’s possible the leak of your information originated from this very club. Otherwise, how could everyday people trace it back to you?” Miles contended.

“You have a point,” Ethan conceded.

As they conversed, they rode the elevator up to the fifth floor.

Upon opening the grand doors, they stepped into an extravagantly decorated hall.

As soon as Miles and Ethan entered, the handful of people inside immediately turned their gazes towards them.

Ethan?

They recognized him almost instantly, but their gaze lingered curiously on Miles.

“Ah! Ethan, impeccable timing. We were just discussing you. Quite impressive! You’ve amassed a substantial fortune in just a few days, even managed to capture a ghost.” A middle-aged man chuckled, rising from a sofa and approaching them.

“But with such a risky endeavor, why didn’t you bring us in? We could’ve profited together.”

Ethan appeared to have a strong dislike for this man. “Zhang Han, we still haven’t settled our old scores, and here you have the gall to say that to me?”

It was clear that this Zhang Han had crossed Ethan in the past.

“Humph, you’re still holding onto that minor issue? I thought you’d let it go. We’re all in this together, why dwell on trivialities? And who might this young man be? A new recruit?” Zhang Han peered at Miles with a measuring gaze.

“His name is Miles, a new ghost tamer joining me for business discussions,” Ethan clarified. “I trust you’ll show some decency and avoid making his experience here unpleasant.”

“What are you implying by ‘unpleasant’?” Zhang Han countered with a hearty laugh. “We always welcome fresh faces, but we can’t overlook the rituals of initiation, can we?”

Ethan chose not to respond to Zhang Han. He instead led Miles away from the group.

“I need to gather the others. Please wait here while I go inside,” he instructed Miles.

“No problem,” Miles agreed.

“Just a word of caution, some folks here can be… unusual. If you run into any difficulties, try to tolerate it for the moment. There’s no need to get entangled,” Ethan advised.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Miles responded.

With that, Ethan exited through another corridor.

As soon as he was out of view, several individuals in the room refocused their attention on Miles.

“A newbie? Looks wet behind the ears. Is he even old enough to vote?”

“Seems like a student to me. What a shame he’s stepped into ghost taming so early.”

“Should we have a little fun? We do have time to kill.”

“Absolutely. He could use some humbling, teach him the ropes, just like when Ethan first joined. Let’s test his mettle. And of course, we should introduce him to the rites of passage for newcomers.”

Two men were enjoying their drinks at the bar. One of them, sporting a wide grin, strolled over with a beverage in hand.

“Hey, mate, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ye Jun, a fellow club member and ghost tamer,” Ye Jun announced, swaggering towards Miles with an extended hand and a friendly smile.

“Miles.” Miles shook his hand politely. But the instant their hands made contact, Miles felt an intense chill, as if he were clasping hands with a corpse.

Simultaneously, a crack formed in his palm, and a red eye surfaced against his will, emitting a faint red glow in the process. A dark handprint had appeared on his skin.

“Don’t shake his hand!” someone exclaimed with forced exaggeration. “That’s Ye Jun, also known as ‘Ghost Hand.’ His touch can lay curses. Dear me, you must be more vigilant. Once you’ve been marked, you’ll rot into a pile of sludge within three days. That’s just with a single touch. If he places multiple handprints on you, you’ll perish in less than a minute.”

Zhang Han, watching this unfold, shook his head, feigning sympathy.

“You’re in a predicament now. It’d be best if you persuaded Ye Jun to reverse the curse. He’s the only one who can.”

Miles inspected the dark handprint on his palm and asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

Casually seating himself, Ye Jun began, “Your name is Miles, correct? It’s quite discourteous for a newcomer not to extend greetings, let alone being oblivious to the customs. But no worries, we’re a forgiving lot. We won’t hold a grudge. To be upfront, we’re going to take half of your earnings from your deal today. But fear not, this is a one-time occurrence, it won’t happen again.”

“Mind you, the money isn’t solely for me. All club members get a share. Once you’re part of our club, you too will get a cut from the inaugural deals of future newcomers.”

Miles studied the handprint on his palm and asked, “Is that a rule? Why didn’t Ethan inform me?”

“Do you think he would’ve shared that with you? He faced quite a bit of hardship at the start, youthful impulsiveness, you know,” Ye Jun chuckled, swirling his drink.

“So, it’s prudent for the new generation to learn from their forebears’ mistakes, wouldn’t you agree?”

Miles shook his head, “I beg to differ.”

“Oh?”

“I know only that you just attempted to kill me, that’s all.”

Suddenly, the calm and collected Miles became incensed. From seemingly nowhere, he drew a golden pistol, aiming it straight at Ye Jun’s forehead.

“A custom firearm?! My friend, let’s keep our cool, okay?” Ye Jun appeared taken aback, particularly upon identifying the gold-colored weapon. It was a model specially crafted to combat ghost tamers.

“Bang!”

In the next moment, Miles pulled the trigger.

A golden bullet directly burrowed into Ye Jun’s forehead.

“Bang! Bang!”

The second and third shots followed swiftly.

“Good heavens…!” Zhang Han, taken aback, recoiled several steps.

The rest of the patrons were equally stunned.

What was going on?

Gunshots were being fired; this was far from ordinary.

Miles unloaded the entire clip into Ye Jun. His head shattered, spewing not fresh blood, but a dark brown, foul-smelling liquid that splattered everywhere. The putrid odor of decay quickly permeated the room.

As soon as the last gunshot echoed away, Ye Jun lay still, his grotesquely damaged head resting on the adjacent sofa.

“These are my terms, the rules dictated by me, Miles,” he proclaimed. “Now, does anyone else here wish to discuss ‘rules’ with me?”

Miles set the pistol on the coffee table before him, his icy, stern gaze scrutinizing the stunned crowd.